Two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch has died at the age of 41 after a long illness | Sports News

Kyle Busch, the two-time Cup Series champion who won more races than anyone in NASCAR’s three world championships, has died. He was 41 years old.

Busch’s family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR released a statement Thursday that Busch died after being hospitalized. No cause of death was given.

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Busch’s family said earlier Thursday that he had been hospitalized with a “serious illness,” three days before competing in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch was testing in a Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details have not been released by Busch’s team or family.

Busch was the brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer. He is survived by his wife Samantha and children Braxton and Lennix.

“Our entire NASCAR family is devastated by the passing of Kyle Busch,” he said.

“A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare, once-in-a-generation talent. He was aggressive, he was passionate, he was very talented and he really cared about the game and the fans.”

The statement went on to say that “throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set a record in national championships, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and inspired the next generation of drivers to own the Truck Series. His sharp intellect and competitive spirit created deep relationships with fans of all stripes, creating a brand that is proud and loyal.”

The news comes 11 days after Busch airlifted his team toward the end of the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, asking the doctor to give him a shot after the race. According to the media, Busch was dealing with a severe cold due to the high G-forces and the changes in the ride on the New York road.

Busch finished the race in eighth place.

Busch competed at Dover last week and won the Trucks Series championship for Spire Motorsports. He then finished 17th in the NASCAR All-Star race, his final race.

“I can’t understand this story,” NASCAR driver and former teammate Denny Hamlin wrote on Twitter. “We just have to think about his family at this time. We love you KB.”

Added driver Brad Keselowski on television: “Totally shocked. It’s very difficult to fix.”

Known as “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” for his post-race brawls, constant feuds with other drivers and sometimes outlandish behavior, the multi-talented Busch broke into the Cup Series scene in 2005 and won Rookie of the Year.

He won championships in 2015 and 2019 for Joe Gibbs Racing.

“His impact on our team and the sport of NASCAR will never be forgotten,” the team said.

Based out of Las Vegas, Busch had a successful career in three NASCAR series, winning the 234 Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Trucks Series. He had 63 Cup victories along with 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 69 Trucks wins – both records.

Busch was fired early in his career with Hendrick Motorsports to make room on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team.

“Kyle and I have had a very difficult life over the years,” Earnhardt said in a statement. “But fortunately we took the time to realize our differences and this is what he started with the discussion in his bus where we all manage our racing teams. I really wanted to get together. But he was the one who tried to make it happen.”

Busch moved on to Joe Gibbs Racing, where he experienced the most success of his career. But Busch was released without an agent for the 2022 season and joined Richard Childress Racing, where he struggled to win races.

His poor performance sparked a recent feud with former teammate JGR Hamlin, who appeared to criticize Busch on the “Actions Detrimental” podcast. Hamlin said, “If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just get back to winning ways all the time, you’re kidding yourself.”

While Hamlin later said he was not hurt by the comments and was just watching, Busch picked on him and said he would make Hamlin’s life “hell” in the race.

With several crashes in last month’s race at Kansas, Busch raced past Hamlin rather than let the race leader pass. The decision elevated Hamlin to a crucial stage of the race and Tyler Reddick won the race after Hamlin faded late.

After winning the stock car race at Dover last week and showing off the pace, Busch seemed to hit on Hamlin, saying, “I think I just remembered driving.”